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Dennis Manteit

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.

Vital Statistics

Born
Thursday, 18th February, 1943
Current Age
83 years and 112 days
Place Of Birth
Jandowae, Queensland, Australia

Competitions Won

The Ashes
1967/68
World Cup
1968
Bulimba Cup
1965, 1967, 1968, 1969
Preseason Cup
1976
Midweek Cup
1976

Biography

Hervey Bay product's early rep career while playing with Toowoomba was hampered by injury but after moving to Brisbane Brothers the young forward won a place (with team-mate John Gleeson) on the 1967-68 Kangaroo Tour. Manteit was sent from the field in his Test debut in Australia’s First Test loss but returned to the Test team for the deciding Third Test of the series (which saw Australia retain the Ashes). Manteit, who was later named as the man behind the infamous ‘bowler hat incident on the troubled tour, played in one other Test match on tour, against France. The following year the seasoned prop played in Australia's victorious World Cup campaign and also toured NZ with the Australian team in 1969. C’bury had attempted to sign Manteit as early as 1968 but the QRL placed bans on their Kangaroo representatives which prevented them from joining Sydney clubs. The matter went to the High Court in 1969 with the QRL ruling that players having given 4-5 years state service could transfer. C’bury agreed to pay the transfer fee but could not produce the necessary funds and it was not until 1970 that Manteit came to Sydney. At first, he found it hard to live up to his huge reputation and suffered a knee injury that wouldn't allow him to last a full game. Manteit tested the loyalty of some hard-nosed C’bury fans. When he was suspended in a club match in 1972 he even received death threats from irate fans. After missing C’bury’s grand final match against Easts in 1974, Manteit saw out his career with Balmain and captained the Tigers to a win in the 1976 Amco Cup.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Representative Career - International   Comp Wins Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Tests (Senior International Matches) - 4 - 4 --- - - - - - - - 1 2 1 1 50.00% List
The Ashes 1 2 - 2 --- - - - - - - - 1 1 1 - 50.00% List
World Cup 1 1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Tour Matches ToowoombaTMB - 2 - 2 --- - - - - - - - - - 2 - 0.00% List
Tour Matches Queensland FirstsQFI - 7 - 7 3-3 - - - - 9 - - - 3 3 1 42.86% List
Tour Matches AustraliaAUS - 17 1 18 9-9 - - - - 27 - - 1 12 5 1 66.67% List
Test Series 1 3 - 3 --- - - - - - - - 1 1 1 1 33.33% List
Representative Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Interstate Series - 15 - 15 1-1 - - - - 3 - - - 1 14 - 6.67% List
NSW City vs Country - 1 - 1 1-1 - - - - 3 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Bulimba Cup 4 19 - 19 8-8 1 - - - 26 - - - 14 4 1 73.68% List
Club Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - 95 3 98 15-15 - - - - 45 - - 3 50 44 4 51.02% List
NRL Finals - - 1 1 --- - - - - - - - - - 1 - 0.00% List
Preseason Cup 1 11 1 12 --- - - - - - - - 2 5 6 1 41.67% List
Midweek Cup 1 6 1 7 2-2 - - - - 6 - - - 5 2 - 71.43% List
Overall   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
First Class  153 6 159 31-31 - - - - 93 - - 6 77 75 7 48.43% List

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Australia 1967-68   4 - 4 --- - - - - - - - 1 2 1 1 50.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Australia 1967-1968   1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - - 1 - - 100.00% List

Australia - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Toowoomba 1963-65   12 - 12 4-4 - - - - 12 - - - 7 4 1 58.33% List
QLD Firsts 1964-69   21 - 21 4-4 - - - - 12 - - - 4 16 1 19.05% List
Brisbane Firsts 1966-70   9 - 9 4-4 1 - - - 14 - - - 7 2 - 77.78% List
NSW City Seconds 1972   1 - 1 1-1 - - - - 3 - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
Wide Bay 1978   1 - 1 --- - - - - - - - - - 1 - 0.00% List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Year

Team Season   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
CanterburyCanterbury 19701970 NSWRFL   8 1 91-1 - - - - 3 - - - 6 3 - 66.67% List
CanterburyCanterbury 19711971 NSWRFL   17 - 172-2 - - - - 6 - - - 11 6 - 64.71% List
CanterburyCanterbury 19721972 NSWRFL   13 - 132-2 - - - - 6 - - 1 6 7 - 46.15% List
CanterburyCanterbury 19731973 NSWRFL   12 2 143-3 - - - - 9 - - 1 7 6 1 50.00% List
BalmainBalmain 19741974 NSWRFL   16 - 161-1 - - - - 3 - - 1 3 11 2 18.75% List
BalmainBalmain 19751975 NSWRFL   17 - 176-6 - - - - 18 - - - 8 9 - 47.06% List
BalmainBalmain 19761976 NSWRFL   12 - 12--- - - - - - - - - 9 2 1 75.00% List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP 3ST 3PT T G1FG 2FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Canterbury 1970-73   50 3 53 8-8 - - - - 24 - - 2 30 22 1 56.60% List
Balmain 1974-76   45 - 45 7-7 - - - - 21 - - 1 20 22 3 44.44% List

Your Say

  • Polysci
    8 May 2012 7:39pm

    A 'hard man' enforcer in the mould of fellow Queenslander, Kevin Ryan. Not known for taking a backward step on the field, would have been interesting to see him play in the State of Origin era.

  • Tezza from Bray Park
    22 May 2012 8:05pm

    My memory of bigh Dennis was watching him playing for Brothers in Brisbane against their old foes Norths, They were rugged affairs with him and Peter Gallagher from Brothers and Don Simpson and Peter Hall from Norths, all very big units and the front row back in the mid 60s was not a place for the faint hearted

  • JIM LAMB
    23 Aug 2016 8:09pm

    HE WAS SOME FOOTBALLER,AS I RECALL. STARTED FOR Qld as a raw boned 14stone second rower,but became a top class ball running 16 stone front rower. The Brothers side he played for was outstanding, as was the Norths side of that time. Only side to match that Brothers side was the outstanding Wynnum Manly side of the mid eighties in my opinion. Manteit and another Qlder, John WITTENBERG, were among my favourite front rowers of the sixties.Both should have played more Tests than they actually played for Australia. Manteit maybe slightly better than Wittenberg,but that would be a close call!!

  • Glen Wilkie
    2 Mar 2020 6:44pm

    I was ball boy at Corbett Park during Brothers rule Brothers v Norths a night match Dennis cover tackled half back Johnny Brown out of touch a metre from the try line knocked me so far out of the park needed to catch a taxi back to the ground!!

  • Keith cook
    29 Nov 2023 7:10pm

    I was luck enough to play with the big man. He always looked after us younger blokes. He always had your back and encouraged our team to do better. Mont never took a step back on the field or off. I'm proud to say I was a team mate of his. Hope you're doing good up in Qld Mont. Hi to to Gwen. Kc

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Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Andrew Ferguson, Alan Katzmann, Wests Archives, Max Turner, Tony McCarron, Derek Farrar, Bill Bates, AJ Lucantonio